Advocatus Diaboli

(Devil's Advocate), the person appointed at Rome to raise doubts against the genuineness of the miracles of a candidate for canonization (q.v.), to expose any want of formality in the investigation of the miracles, and to assail the general merits of the candidate, whose cause is sustained by an ADVOCATUS DEI (God's Advocate). It is said that in the beginning of the seventeenth century the canonization of Cardinal Boromeo was almost prevented by the accusations of the devil's advocate.